Birders;
We are going to be taking a trip to Chiapas in December and would love some current information about birding sites and possible areas to avoid if safety will be an issue. We are unsure which route we are going to take. We're hoping that some of you can help us in this way. The birds that we are most interested in are the endemics and the birds that are seen in Chiapas, but less common in other states. We have traveled quite a bit in Mexico and have some language skills.
Our questions:
Would it even be possible in a 10 days period to take both the south and north routes?
Is a trip to El Triumpho as fabulous as it seems?
Any sites that are listed in Howell that are no longer worth the drive?
Are there other sites that are not in his book, or in trip reports that you'd be willing to share with us?

Thanks for any help.
Barry Levine
Seattle,Wa.USA
levineb at bsd405.org